I walk sideways in the game world

Ren Xiaoyao clutched the bloodstained black token tightly in his hand, a cold glint in his eyes. The Blood Shadow Cult, this evil organization that had disappeared from the martial arts world for decades, had unexpectedly revived and even extended its influence into the imperial court. This made him feel an unprecedented pressure.

"Brother Xiaoyao, what are you thinking about?" Xia Lin walked to him and asked with concern.

"Nothing, just a little worried." Ren Xiaoyao came back to his senses and forced a smile, "Let's go back to the palace first. This matter still needs to be discussed in detail."

After returning to the palace, Ren Xiaoyao remained restless. He knew the terrifying power of the Blood Shadow Cult and the disastrous consequences if allowed to grow. He decided to secretly investigate and uncover the spies lurking within the imperial court.

One day, Ren Xiaoyao, under the pretext of inspecting the palace security, came alone to the corridor outside the imperial study. He carefully observed his surroundings, making sure no one was watching, and then slipped into a secluded utility room.

This utility room, separated from the imperial study by a single wall, was something Ren Xiaoyao had stumbled upon earlier. He suspected it might be the secret base where Eunuch Zhao communicated with the outside world.

Ren Xiaoyao held his breath and carefully searched every corner of the room. Soon, he found a secret compartment among a pile of messy scrolls. He reached out and opened the secret compartment, revealing an unopened letter.

Ren Xiaoyao's heart trembled. He carefully took out the letter. In the dim light, he saw the words "To Lord Blood Bat" written on the envelope.

"It's him!" Ren Xiaoyao clenched his fists, a flash of anger in his eyes. He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, then opened the envelope and read it carefully.

The letter contained little content, primarily reporting on personnel changes within the palace and developments at court. However, one sentence caught Ren Xiaoyao's attention: "In three days, the plan will proceed as scheduled. I hope you will make early preparations."

"Plan? What plan?" Ren Xiaoyao was filled with doubts. He carefully put the letter back where it belonged and quietly left the utility room.

After returning to his residence, Ren Xiaoyao told Xia Lin what he had discovered in the palace.

"It seems that the trouble we've encountered this time is even more difficult than we imagined." After listening to Ren Xiaoyao's story, Xia Lin's face became serious. "Brother Xiaoyao, what are you going to do?"

"I've decided to go to Black Wind Ridge myself and meet this blood bat." Ren Xiaoyao's eyes flashed with determination. "You stay here and continue to secretly investigate Eunuch Zhao to see what conspiracy he is planning."

"But..." Xia Lin wanted to say something, but seeing Ren Xiaoyao's determined look, she finally nodded. "Then be careful. I've noticed something unusual here at the Wulin Alliance. It seems..." Xia Lin hesitated, her brow furrowed as if she were weighing something. "It seems that Sect Leader Ouyang has been interacting closely with some suspicious individuals recently, but I don't have any solid evidence," she whispered, a hint of worry in her tone.

"Master Ouyang?" Ren Xiaoyao frowned, a bad omen brewing in his heart. Ouyang Xiong had dominated the martial arts world for many years, a highly respected figure within the martial arts community. If even he were to be wooed by the Blood Shadow Cult, the consequences would be disastrous.

"I will find out the situation over at Black Wind Ridge as soon as possible. You should also be careful not to alert the enemy." Ren Xiaoyao instructed, "We will act separately, but we must stay in touch and notify each other immediately if we find anything."

Charlene nodded, and the two exchanged glances, both knowing in their hearts that a bigger storm was about to come.

To avoid being seen, Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin agreed to meet at a dilapidated temple outside the city. As night fell, the temple was lit by a single dim oil lamp, which made their shadows appear particularly long.

"I found this outside of Master Ouyang's study," Xia Lin said, pulling out a piece of black cloth from her bosom and handing it to Ren Xiaoyao. "This piece of cloth is very special, I've never seen it before. It seems to have some pattern embroidered on it, but I can't make it out clearly."

Ren Xiaoyao took the scrap of cloth and examined it carefully. The fabric felt cool and smooth, like snake scales, and emanated a faint, eerie aura. In the dim light, he finally made out the pattern—a blood-red bat, wings spread, sharp fangs bared. Beneath the pattern, embroidered in gold, was the word "shadow."

"Blood Shadow Cult!" Ren Xiaoyao gasped, his heart awash with fear. It seemed the Blood Shadow Cult was even more powerful than he'd imagined. Even a giant like Sect Leader Ouyang had fallen, and this filled him with an unprecedented pressure.

"Brother Xiaoyao, what should we do now?" Xia Lin's voice trembled slightly, and she was obviously shocked by this sudden discovery.

Ren Xiaoyao was silent for a moment, a flicker of determination in his deep gaze. "It seems we can only..." He hadn't finished his words when the gate to the dilapidated temple was suddenly kicked open. A dozen men in black, blades in hand, rushed in murderously. Each of them had a black cloth covering their face, revealing only a pair of cold eyes, which looked particularly chilling in the dim light.

"Who are you?" Xia Lin asked sternly, drawing the long sword from her waist and protecting Ren Xiaoyao behind her.

The man in black didn't answer, only sneered, then pounced on him like a tiger descending from a mountain. Blades flashed, murderous intent filled the air, and a fierce battle was about to break out...

The men in black were well-trained, working in perfect harmony. Each strike was ruthless, aiming for vital points. Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin, despite their impressive martial arts skills, struggled to display them in the cramped, dilapidated temple. They fought and retreated, searching for a chance to break free.

During the fierce battle, Ren Xiaoyao discovered that the black-clad men possessed a diverse array of martial arts skills, seemingly not from the same school, but rather a hastily assembled mob. Yet, their coordinated and swift movements clearly showed they had undergone rigorous training. This intensified his confusion: who, exactly, could mobilize such a vast force?

"Their target is us, Brother Xiaoyao, you go quickly, I will stop them!" Xia Lin shouted, and danced the long sword in her hand tightly, forcing back several men in black.

"Let's go together!" Ren Xiaoyao was unwilling to leave Xia Lin behind to escape alone. He waved his sword, forced back a man in black, then pulled Xia Lin up, took advantage of the gap, broke out of the encirclement, and disappeared into the night.

The two fled all the way, always in pursuit. Along the way, they encountered several waves of men in black, each time they were in danger and narrowly escaped death.

Meanwhile, Sect Master Ouyang was also secretly investigating the situation within the sect. He remained calm on the surface, but secretly sent people to conduct a thorough search. Finally, they found some suspicious items in a disciple's room—several pieces of black cloth, identical to the ones Ren Xiaoyao had obtained before, also embroidered with blood-red bat patterns.

Sect Leader Ouyang's heart sank. It seemed the Blood Shadow Cult had already infiltrated his sect, hiding so deeply that even he, the Sect Leader, was unaware. Realizing the severity of the situation, he decided to secretly contact Ren Xiaoyao and inform him of the matter.

After many twists and turns, Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin finally escaped the pursuit and hid in a secluded house in the city. Little did they know that a greater crisis was yet to come.

That night, in the dead of night, Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin decided to take the risk and sneak into Eunuch Zhao's mansion to find more clues about the Blood Shadow Cult. However, as soon as they sneaked into the mansion, they fell into a carefully laid trap.

Countless torches lit up instantly, illuminating the entire courtyard like daylight. Dozens of armored guards, wielding swords, surrounded them. Eunuch Zhao, dressed in a gorgeous brocade robe and surrounded by a group of guards, slowly emerged from the shadows with a sinister smile on his face.

"Young Master Ren, Miss Xia Lin, what brings you here so late at night?"